FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER,

Pastor (Dr) E. O. Abina

GOFAMINT

signs

SIGNS OF THE LAST DAYS

Sunday 1^st November , 2015.

“But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, ²[misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning]” (II Tim 4:1-2 AMP Bible),

We worship and serve an Omniscient God – that is an all-knowing God. He knows beforehand what happened yesterday, what happens today, and what will happen tomorrow before they happen. He is not like the pagan gods which have eyes but cannot see ears but cannot hear and legs but cannot walk – they are the handiwork of man.

Our God is the Creator and Most High God. The Lord Jesus had predicted many things that would happen in the future of which most of them are recorded in Matthew 24. The apostles namely: Peter, Paul, James and some others to mention but a few were among the apostles whom also God, through the Holy Spirit used to predict some of the signs of the last days in which we are now living. One of the signs of these last days which Paul expressed in the words “time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (verse 3), this is time the Spirit of God through Paul was pointing to – our day. Paul described what would characterize the attitude of certain members in the church in these words saying “but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap-up teachers for themselves, and they will turn away their ears from the truth, and be turned aside to fables (verses 3,4). He therefore warned Timothy to preach the word – that is the true and undiluted word of God without fear or favour, when it is convenient and when it is not. Sincerely speaking, when we look critically into our passage, we would agree with the Holy Spirit that this is what is happening in the church today. Many people in the churches are no longer interested in the truth of the word of God, they rather prefer the so-called motivational speakers, with sugar-coated mouth, deceiving them and being deceived.

Not that these church members don’t want to hear the word (but because they had itching ears) that means they want to hear words- but words that will suit the kind of life they prefer to live. Today some so-called church members are bread-seekers and not Christ-seekers, for eternal life, they love to see miracles, signs, wonders, money, pleasure and all of that. They are no longer interested in the true word of God, which transforms lives and prepare people for the second coming of Christ and the kingdom of God. This challenge is before all of us (both the leaders and the led). The only way that this sign will not affect our church is that:

(a) The leaders – pastors and elders of the church should take their ministry seriously to preach, teach and live the true word of God without adulterating it. That is to say what the word of God says, and be silent where the word of God is silent. In I Pet 5:1-4, the apostle Peter charged church leaders to shepherd or feed the flock – the people of God. It is the responsibility of all church leaders to feed the flock with the pure and undiluted word of God which is able to transform the lives of members and also bless them. Church leaders should not shy away from this responsibility.

(b) Members who want to go to heaven should also be willing to learn the word of God and also live by it. The message of prosperity without purity is unbiblical: “without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). Money and wealth are not bad if we acquire them in a righteous way but they are not the end of everything as we shall leave them one day. Heaven should be our ultimate goal. If we do the will of God from His word, He surely will bless us. Let our motto be: “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. These are the words of Jesus Himself (see Matt 6:33).

Prayer Points:

1. Thank God for His all-knowing power and His word that cannot fail.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the grace to be willing to learn and hear the undiluted word of God and to do it.

3. Pray that you would not be a victim of the signs of the last days.

4. Pray for your pastor and church leaders to be able to feed the members with the pure milk of the word and the “solid food” of the word (I Pet 2:2; Heb 5:14).